Method of manufacturing refrigerant plates



Jan. 3, 1939. s. JENNINGS. JR 2,142,513

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING REFRIGERANT PLATES Filed May l2, 1937 -ll-lll-MI- ,S'am u el' :fen 713275525, Jr.

f INV TOR m Mgg/m ATTORNEYS' Patented Jan. 3, 1939 I UNITED STATES BIETHOD F MANUFACTURING REFRIGER- PLATES Samuel Jennings, Jr., Maury, Ohio-1f- Application May 12,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerant plates and method of manufacturing same.

In frozen material dispensing cabinets and storage apparatus a volatile refrigerant is circulated through circulating members in the nature of hollow plates forming walls, top, bottom, and the like of the apparatus, the plates being heat conductors adapted to refrigerate the frozen material on display or being stored or dispensed.

One disadvantage of the refrigerant plates now in use is that leaks occur caused by expansion and contraction of the metal. During manufacture crazing and creeping of the metal near spot welded parts has never been completely overcome.

WithV the above disadvantages in mind the present invention provides a refrigerant plate which is devoid of crazing or small seams as well as weak spots to later produce leaks, and to obtain such a product the use of spacer slugs between the walls of a plate is promoted by a novel process of spot welding, these slugs permitting of circuitous passages of great magnitude and of ramifying contour existing between the walls of the plate so that higher refrigerating l efficiency is obtained in the plate than hitherto possible.

A further object is to provide a gas chamber at the top of the plate between the walls thereof to promote elcient return of the gas to the compressor.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification. i

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a refrigerant plate constructed in accordance with 45 the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the plate shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the plate and showing a template carrying the slugs.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of a modified form of plate of T-shaped cross section.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of another modified form of plate, of circular cross section.

1937, Serial No. 142,248

Figure 6 is another modified form of plate of angular cross section to fit around corners.

Figure 'I is a cross sectional view of another modified form of plate showing refrigerant passages alternating with passages for the material to be cooled such as milk.

Figure 8 is another modified form of the invention similar to the form shown in Figure l except that the walls of the plate converge toward the bottom of the plate.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of another modified form of the invention in which the circulating passages are formed by strips instead of slugs.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, and referring more particularly to Figure 1, III and II designate metal sheets forming the walls of the refrigerant plate, the walls being formed integral at the top with a gas chamber I2 of substantially circular cross section. Metal slugs I3 are interposed between the sheets and form circuitous refrigerant circulating passages of great magnitude and of ramifying contour between the walls of the plate;

One method of manufacturing the refrigerant plate just described is as follows. The plate I0 is placed.upon a table or other suitable support. A template Il with openings I5 therein of suilicient diameter to receive the slugs I3, is superposed upon the'plate I0 and the slugs I3 are then inserted through holes in the template to abut the plate endwise. The slugs are now spotwelded to the plate I0 the spot weld showing up on the outer surface of the plate as indicated at I8 in Figure 2. The plate II is now deformed to form the cylindrical gas chamber I2 and the plate is then forced down upon the slugs I3 and clamped against the slugs after removal of the template. 'I'he plate II is now spot-welded to the lugs Il, using the weld marks as guides for the welding tool, and as shown at Il in Figure l, the plate is spot-welded around the edge to the plate III.

In carrying out the above process of manufacture it will be pointed out that only sufficient heat is applied to spot weld the slugs I3 at their end faces to the inner faces of the plates IIi and II. Consequently no crazing or creeping of the metal near the spot weld can result since the weld is made in the fraction of a second and insufficient heat is used to heat the metal outside of the weld.

It will be further pointed out that the slugs perform the dual function of spacing the plates from each other and also attaching the plates to each other so that the plates cannot be collapsed either by vacuum or by pressure. Leaks are avoided since no perforations are formed in the plates to receive the slugs and weaken the plates, weakened spots, in practice, always de.- veloping into leaks and causing trouble.

In Figure 4 there is shown a modified form of the invention in which the refrigerant plate is substantially T-shape in cross section and may beformed o! two `angular plates il and il and a channel plate 2l, or may be otherwise formed.

In manufacturing this type of refrigerant plate the slugs 2l may be spot-welded to the plate 2l and the slugs 22 may be spot-welded to the plate Il, while carried in suitable templates as heretofore described. The plate I8 may now be assembled to the plates II and 2l and the slugs 2| may be spot-welded to the plates Il and Il while the slugs 22 may be spot-welded to the Plate Il.

In Figure 5 there is shown another modied form of the invention in which the refrigerant `plate is circular in cross section. In manufacturing this plate the slugs 23 may be spot welded at oneend to either of the concentric plates 2| and 2l and subsequently be spot welded at the other end to the other plate.

In `Figure 6 thereis shown another modied form of the invention in which the refrigerant piatecomprises intermediate transverse plates. and 21 andterminal plates 2l and 2l spaced apart and connected together by` slugs 3l. This shape of refrigerant plate is adapted to pass around onset corners. In this modlilcation'also the slugs may be iirst spot-welded at one end to certain of the plates and subsequently spotweldedatthe other endto the other plates.`

In Figure 'I there is shown a modified form of invention in which the refrigerant plate comprises `parallel plates 3|, 32, Il, 3|, Il, and ll spaced apart and lconnected together by slugs I1 to provide alternate brine circulating and milk storage passages. In manufacturing this modif fied form of the invention slugsmay be spotwelded at one end to each of the plates. and then the plates may be assembled in succession and as eachplate is added to the group the ends of the slugs of the next preceding plate may be spotwelded to the plate.

In Figure 8 there is shown another modified form of the invention in which the refrigerant plate comprises two plates 38 and I9 with a substantially circular integral gas chamber Il. In this modified form of the invention the plates converge toward the lower ends and are connected together and properly spaced by slugs Il which are rst spot-welded at one end to the plate 3l` and subsequently spot-welded at the other end to the plate 39. Inall of the forms of the invention above described preferably. the slugs are all simultaneously spot-welded to one plate and subsequently all simultaneously spotwelded to the other' plate. this being accomplished by special machinery suitable for the purpose.

In Figure 9 there is shown a form oi' the invention which is somewhat similar to Figure 1 and in this modified form of the invention the plates I2 and Il are connected `together and spaced apart by metal strips M, spot-welded on one edge simultaneously to the plate Il and subsequently simultaneously spot-welded at the opposite edge to the plate 42. As illustrated alternate strips terminate short of opposite edges of the refrigerant plate in order to provide serpentine refrigerant circulating passages between the walls of the plate.

From the above description it is thought -that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a refrigerant plate without imposing metal stress in the plate, cons'sting of simultaneously spot welding one end of each of a plurality of metal reinforcing and connecting .slugs to the face of a metal sheet, there appearing visible outlines of the ends of the weld on the reverse face of the sheet after the weld. is made, reversely bending the sheet upon itself while forming an enlarged cylindrical gas chamber at the reverse bend of the sheet,

the reversely bent portion of the sheet abutting the other ends of the slugs, and simultaneously spot welding said other ends of the plurality of slugs to the reversely bent portion of the sheet while using said weld outlines as guides to accurately apply the welding tool.

' 2. A method of manufacturing a refrigerant plate without imposing metal stress in the plate. consisting of placing upon the face of a metal sheet a template provided with metal reinforcing and connecting slugs presented endwise to contact with said face of the sheet at one end and be exposed through said template at the other end, simultaneously spot welding the first named ends of all of the slugs to the face of the sheet. there appearing on the opposite face of the sheet visible outlines of the welded ends oi' the slugs, reversely bending the sheet upon itself to abut the free ends of the slugs while forming a cylindrical gas chamber at the reverse bend, and simultaneously spot welding the free ends of the slugs to the reversely bent portion of the sheet while using said weld outlines as a guide to accurately apply the Welding tool.

SAMUEL JENNINGS. JR. 

